Valve-actuating mechanism



. -5, I c. c. WILLIAMS ,734,842

VALVE ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 12. 1926 17 ||n I {I I, :ll' 1. 1 MIN 0 M I 1.9 v Q 14 J i 3 j w Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED r VALVE-AGTUATING MECHANISM- Application filed Nvember12, 1926, Serial No, 148,054.

This invention relates to an improved valve actuating mechanism which is generally similar to the valve actuating mechanism disclosed in my co-pending application filed November 26, 1924, Serial No. 7 52,400, but is more especially similar to the valve actuating mechanism disclosed in my co-pending application filed March 17, 1926, Ser. No. 95,361. v

The invention seeks, among other objects, to provide a mechanism embodying a push rod which incorporates a spring constantly tending to expand or lengthen the rod, and wherein the upward pressure of said spring in opposition to the functioning of the usual engine valve spring will be reduced to a minimum.

The invention seeks, as a further object, to provide a mechanism wherein the linear variation occurring in the spring of the push rod, as said spring elongates'or is compressed, will closely conform to the lengthening and shortening travel of the rod.

A further object of the invention is to pro- I vide a novel slip joint automatically operable to accommodate lengthening or shortening of the rod and wherein said joint will embody a practically permanently assembled female joint unit separately removable and open at the top and bottom to permit of easy cleaning by fluid as well as likewise permit of convenient oiling.

Still another object of the invention isto provide a mechanism wherein the male unit of the joint will embody the push rod stem, and wherein said stem will be separately removable to thereby simplify assembling with the female-unit as well as permit quick and convenient installation ofthe push rod.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a mechanism wherein dirt will be excluded from the slip joint by .an appropriate felt sleeve, and wherein said sleeve may be saturated with oil for maintaining the joint constantly lubricated.

Other objects of the inventionnot specifically mentioned in the foregoing, will ap pear during the course of the following description.

from the flat bottom flushing with a cleansing In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a'vertical sectional view showing my improved mechanism in connection with a conventional overhead valve.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, this view particularly showing the rollers of the slip joint.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral'lO indicates a fixed tappet guide, and slidable through said guide is a tappet tappet being provided at its upper end with the usual axial socket 13. A conventional overhead engine valve is indicated at 14. Slidably supporting thevalve is a cage 15, and normally holding the valve closed is a va ve spring 16. Mounted to coact with the upper end of the valve stemis a rocker 17; carrying an adjustable ball 18, and formed to coactwiththe ball is a socket 19'. j

In accordance with the present invention, I employ-a push rod embodying a female slip joint unit inga conical inner face 21, and projecting 7 wall of said cup is a depending tubular stud 22 which freely fits inthe socket 13;of the tappetll so that the bottom wall of the cup thus rests flat against the upper end of the tappet. .Fitting over the upper end of the cup isa frusto conical cap or housing 23 offset near its lower end to restagainsttheupper edge of the cup and provided with aflange 24 which tightly encircles the upper margin of the cup .for rigidly connecting the cap thereto. Disposed within the cup is a series of conical or longitudinall-y tapered rollers 1 '25, and resting against the larger upper ends of said rollers is; an annular follower 26 upturned at its peripheral margin to provide a seat for the lower end of a take-up spring 27, the upper end offwhich rests against the top wall of the cap 23.1'The spring 27' is of far less tension than the spring 16 and, as will'be perceived, thespring 27 willconstantly tend to shift the rollers 25 downwardly within the'cup 20, the rollers being shiftable to engage each other at the sides thereof for limiting the rollers in their downward travel. Extending through. the cap 23 of thepfewhich includes a, cup 20 hav- 7 11 operable by a cam shaft 12, the Y 3 male unit into the cup 20 is the male-unit of the slip joint which embodies a push rod stem 28, and formed on the lower end of said stem is a cone 29. This cone is freely accommodated through the follower 26 and rests within the series of rollers 25 to coact therewith. Slipped over the upper end of the stein 28 to abut the larger upper end of the cone 29 is a feltsleeve 30 which is freely accommodated within the spring 27 but more or less snugly fits the opening in the top wall of the cap 23 for excluding dust and dirt. In practice, this sleeve may be saturated with oil so that, as will be seen, the slip joint will thus be constantly lubricated. At its upper end, the stem 28 is provided with a slightly enlarged head 31 shaped to accommodate the socket 19 which is removably slipped over said head.

As will now be seen, the spring'27 of the female joint unit will, in pressing the rollers 25 downwardly, cause the rollers to 'coact with the cone 29 of the stem 28 for forcing said stem upwardly. However, upward movement of the stem, under the action of said spring will, of course, be limited by the engagement of the rocker 17 with the upper end of the stem of the valve 14 so that since the cone 29 of the stem will thus, in elfect,provide for the rollers 25, anabutment limited against upward movement, said rollers will also coact with the cup 20 for forcing said cup downwardly and constantly holding the cup in solid engagement with the upper end of the tappet 11. Play between the parts will thus always be taken up and looseness or rattling permanently avoided. Moreover, the tappet 11 will be constantly held against the coacting cam of the shaft 12 so that tappet rattling will alsobe eliminated.

Assuming now that the tappet 11 is raised, the upward thrust of the tappet will, as will be perceived, be transmitted directly to the rollers 25 and, of course, at the instant such upward thrust is transmitted to said rollers, the push rod stem 28, rocke'r'17 and valve 14, will be at rest. Accordingly, the inertia of these parts will be sufficient to maintain the push rod stem stationary momentarily and oppose the upward thrust of the tappet with sufficient force to cause'an upward endwise slipping of the rollers with a coincident upward movement of the cup .20 independently of thecone 29. The follower 26 is, therefore, shifted upwardly by the rollers to compress the spring 27 and, due to the dif: ference in the angularity of the face 21 of the cup and the face of the cone, the rollers are, of course, independently shifted upwardly a distance greater than the independent upward movement of the cup. The push rod is thus automatically contracted, but as the tappet continues in its upward movement and the inertia of the push rod stem, rocker, valve and valve spring is overcome, the upward slipping of the rollers is arrested substantially at the instant the push rod stem begins to yield to the upward movement of the tappet, when said rollers wedge between the face 21 of the cup and the cone 29 to provide a rigid connection between said cup and the push rod stem so that the valve is opened. Due to the automatic contraction of the push rod as the valve is opened, the opening traveliimparted to the valve will be correspondingly up'onthe return of the tappet downwardly, the valve will seat before the tappet reaches the bottom of its throw so that the stem 28 of the push rod will be relieved of the downward pressure exerted thereon'by the valve shortened. Acoordingly,'

spring 16. i As a result, the spring'27 will,

as the tappet completes its downward move ment expand for again shiftin the rollers downwardly within the cup and thus lifting the stem 28 of the push rod, so that the parts will be returned to their original positions while all loos'eness between the parts willbe automatically taken up. Battling will thus be effectually prevented. Should the valve fail to seat properly, the push rod will, as will be understood in view of the foregoing, automatically expand to compensate for the shortened closing travel of the valve, while, when the valve is subsequently permitted to move into engagement with its seat, the push rod will be automatically contracted to corn pensate for the increased closin'gtravel of the valve.

As will be observed, the cap 23 provides the sole abutment for the upper end of the spring 27 and attention is now directed to the fact that since the push rodstem 28 is free with respect to the cap, the push rodstem is relieved of the upward thrust of said spring. Accordingly, the spring 16 is, in turn, relieved of the upward thrust ofthe spring 27, which upward thrust would otherwise be exerted in opposition to the functionin'g of the spring 16. Furthermore, it is to be noted that since the cap 23 does not partake of the independent travel of the push rod stem 28, as the push rod is lengthened or shortened, the lengthening and shortening travel of the spring 27, as said spring expands or is contracted, will closely conform to the independent travel of the pushrod stem. Flexing of the springwill thus be reduced to a minimum so that .the period of usefulness thereof will be prolonged accordingly.

Attention is now directed to the fact that by compressing the valve spring 16 and swinging the outer end of the rocker 17 upwardly, the socket 19 may be slipped upwardly from over the head 31 of the push rod may then be grasped and lifted upwardly out of the female joint unit. The female unit stem 28 and removed." The push rod stem removed from the tappet and since said unit is, as will be noted, open at the top and bottom thereof, said unit may be readily flushed with a suitable cleaning fluid and consequently easily cleaned. Likewise, when initially installing the device, oil may be readily introduced into the female unit and by reversing the procedure just described, the push rod may, as will be perceived, be easily and quickly installed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. An automatic take-up device including a female unit embodying a cup, spring pressed rollers formed to coact with said cup, and a male unit formed to coact with said rollers.

2. An automatic take-up device including a female unit embodying a cup, rollers there- .in, a spring urging the rollers to coact with the cup, a cap fixed to the cup and forming an abutment for said spring, and a male unit extending into the cup to coact with the rollers and freely removable without disassembling the female unit.

3. An automatic take-up device including a female unit embodying a cup, a cap carried by the cup, spring pressed rollers enclosed by the cap to coact with the cup, and a male unit extending into the cup to coact with said rollers and movable longitudinally independently of the cap and cup.

l. An automatic take-up device including a female unit embodying a cup, a cap carri d by the cup, spring pressed rollers enclosed by the cap to coact with the cup, a male unit extending into the cup to coact with said rollers and movable longitudinally independently of the cap and cup, and a fibrous sleeve forming a closure between the cap and such unit. 5. An automatic take-up device including relatively movable male and female members, wedging means coacting therewith, yieldable means tending to advance said wedging means for spreading said members and resisting retrograde movement of said wedging means, and a cap fixed to the female member and providing an abutment for said yieldable means.

6. An automatic take-up device including relatively movable members, one of which provides a cup having an inclined face, ing means disposed to coact with said face, yieldable means tending to advance said wedging means for spreading said members apart and resisting retrograde movement of said wedging means, and a cap fixed to the cup and providing an abutment for said yieldable means. 7

7. An automatic take-up device including relatively movable male and female members, wedging means, yieldable means tending to advance said wedging means for spreading said members apart and resisting retrograde movement of said wedging means, and a cap fixed to'the female member and providing an abutment for said yieldable means, the male wedgmember being separately removable through said cap.

8. An automatic take-up device including a male unit, and a female unit including a member having an inclined face,'a series of wedging elements disposed to coact with said face and arranged to receive the male unit within said series to coact with said elements, yieldable means tending toadvance said elements, and a cap fixed to said member to freely accommodate the male unit therethrough and providing an able means as well as a housing therefor.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CALVIN o. WILLIAMS. [n s] abutment for said yield- 

